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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Holy @#$%^&*!

The 111th Congress will last through January 3, 2011, and there is a lot left to do, including ratifying the START treaty, repealing DADT, passing the DREAM Act and the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, and confirming some of the more than 30 judicial nominees that have passed the Judicary Committee. I have certainly had to cancel vacations because of the exigencies of my work as have people in countless other professions, so I don't get what the big deal is about working through the holidays. Maybe it is because I am not of the Christian faith, but I find it thoroughly baffling that it is considered unreasonable, indeed, sacrilegious, to suggest that Congress work past Christmas to get their work done.

When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid threatened to call the Senate back after Christmas, Sen. John Kyl protested that Reid was "disrespecting one of the two holiest of holidays for Christians." Sen. Jim DeMint said that it would be "sacrilegious" for the Senate to hold a vote on the START treaty in the days just before Christmas. After feeling compelled to assure everyone that he was a good Christian, and that he did not need to be reminded "of the importance of Christmas for all of the Christian faith, for all their families, all across America," Reid responded, "where were their concerns about Christmas [when they were posing] filibuster after filibuster of every piece of legislation during this entire Congress?" Indeed.

It might not be for me to say, but it would seem that the "Christian thing" for Congress to do would be to do whatever it takes to make the country safer, provide equal rights for gays and lesbians, ensure a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants who were brought to this country as children, provide health care for 9/11 workers who became ill, and ameliorate the vacancies that are plaguing the federal court system. So, for Christ's sake, take Christmas off and go to church, but then get back to work.

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It may not be fair for you to say it -- though really you did, didn't ya! ;) -- but Joe Scarborough has no compunctions about doing so. He's got your back on this one and has demanded that Sens. Kyl and DeMint serve up an apology to Reid for their "un-Christlike behavior."

The right is blasting Scarborough for "judging" Kyl and DeMint "Un-Christlike," which is itself an un-Christlike thing to do. But that's just spin. Joe wasn't judging their souls, but, rather their behavior. It's a meaningful distinction. I find for the defendant.